


One Caterer To Bake Them All

by naberiie



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Getting Together, More characters to come, RIVALS to friends to lovers fits better but there's no tag for that OH WELL, Self-Indulgent, Stupidcute, hozier voice: there's no plan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 07:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naberiie/pseuds/naberiie
Summary: The Tico sisters are graduating, and they're throwing a party.Who will rise up to be the sole caterer of the biggest event of the year? Rey Skywalker, of Skybaker, or mysterious newcomer Finn of Blue Saber Eats?





	One Caterer To Bake Them All

**Author's Note:**

> Pure self-indulgent fluffy fun, you rang? 
> 
> I woke up with an OVERPOWERING desire to write a super fluffy enemies to friends to lovers, rival bakery AU, so... here we are! I have absolutely no plans for this fic,* I have no idea where we're going or how we're gonna get there or how I can be expected to make more terrible Star Wars related puns in the meantime. Please help me.
> 
> Also, I know nothing about catering, baking, astrophysics, or engineering.
> 
> More when... I write it?
> 
> There's really no plan here folks, we're just here to enjoy the ride of my subconscious desires and love of sappy tropes!!

The Tico sisters were throwing a dual graduation party, and Rey Skywalker was determined to be the sole caterer. Skybakers _deserved_ to be the sole caterer.

While her dad manned the desk, chatting with customers and humming cheerfully to himself as he prepped orders, Rey stood, hands on her hips, glowering at the giant whiteboard tacked to the back wall in the kitchen.

Never mind that a new and flashy bakery had opened on the other side of town, never mind that the owner – a guy her age, Finn-something – had brought a baker’s dozen of his stupidly-delicious specialty pastries. Never mind that he’d complemented her on the old seventies’ décor that her dad refused to even consider revamping, and never mind that he’d complemented her piping skills. Never mind all that! She had a competition to win – and, okay, maybe he didn’t realize it was a competition, but she’d seen Rose Tico stop by his shop and Rey _knew_ that she’d told him about the party.

Rey took another bite of Finn-something’s basil and strawberry Danish as she contemplated her whiteboard of scrawled notes and mentally cursed Finn-something’s unfortunately all-too-obvious talent with flavor palates.

Paige – the eldest, stalwart and hardworking and probably the only reason this party was happening in the first place – had finished her doctoral degree. Astrophyics. She was the sort of girl who could command all of the attention in a room simply by stepping through the door, all level gazes and mysterious Mona-Lisa smiles.

> as·tro·phys·ics; _/ˌastrōˈfiziks/ _noun: the branch of astronomy concerned with the physical nature of stars and other celestial bodies, and the application of the laws and theories of physics to the interpretation of astronomical observations
> 
> IDEAS:
> 
> Planet cookies
> 
> Star cookies!!
> 
> Asteroid cookies?
> 
> Decorate-your-own nebula icing station?

Rose Tico could _also_ command all of the attention in a room – because she would make damn sure you _knew _she was there. Her laugh was loud and bright, and she seemed to know everyone. Hosnian Prime University was one of the largest in the world, with five distinct campuses, but that wasn’t about to stop her. Rose always knew at least three people, usually more, no matter where the Tico sisters went.

And with a brand new, shining bachelor’s degree in engineering (mechanical) tucked proudly under her belt, this was going to be the party of the _century._

> en·gi·neer·ing; _/ˌenjəˈniriNG/ _noun: the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.
> 
> IDEAS:
> 
> Tool-shaped cookies
> 
> Galette dec. w/ interlocking gears
> 
> Blueprint-decorated cake!!

Okay, not that Rey had _needed_ to write out the basic definition of engineering, given her shiny-and-so-far-useless degree in the same field (fuck the withered job market) (but thank you Mr. Solo for letting her work in his garage a few times a week), but she had to be _thorough_. Her competition was fierce. And maybe as good at baking as she was. Maybe. She eyed the sleek box of pastries with combinations like goat’s cheese and peaches (what??), and mint and raspberry, and plum tarts the color of jewels, and fancier combinations still.

She needed more intel on Finn-something and his shop, Blue Saber Eats. She needed to know if he knew that the biggest party of the year was happening. Not to mention he already had a head start on the competition, but if he thought she’d back down because he’d swooped in with a box of stupid-delicious pastries and a gorgeous smile, he was _dead_ wrong.

Rey tied her hair back into her three messy buns, stuffed the last bite of Danish in her mouth, and ignored the fact that Finn’s smile was still lingering in her brain. She gave herself a mental shake. _No time for that! We’ve got a bakery recon to do!_

Finn had definitely gotten a head start with his hand-delivered box of treats, and as Rey scanned the kitchen, desperate for stock that would live up to his apparently very-impressive flavor palate, she noted with growing dismay that they had nothing as fancy as…

She checked the helpful handwritten notes on the top of the box, each pastry cleared labeled. Skybakers had nothing as fancy as _apple and lavender, are you serious,_ but yes of course Finn was serious, because it was all delicious. Rey finally decided on a combination of their signature pastries: eclairs, galettes, and a few simple goods to round out the look. Their flavor combinations were safer and vintage, if she wanted to be positive. Or boring and out of date, if she didn’t.

Her dad raised his eyebrows as she bolted out of the door with barely a wave goodbye.

Finn had oh-so-helpfully taped his business card to the top of the box, and Rey made a mental note to get business cards made. If his bakery was anything like the card – sleek, modern, begrudgingly-good graphics in black and white and bright kingfisher blue – Rey might have her work cut out for her.

* * *

_Huh. I… have my work cut out for me_.

Box of pastry offerings in hand, she stared up at the flashy logo of Blue Saber Eats over the sleek steel counter. Though she was the only one in the store, it still radiated _cool_ and _chill_ and _let’s hang out here for hours and buy lots of stuff_. She chewed her lip as she took in the eye-catching storefront and its fancy logo and Instagram-worthy lighting and cool pop-up menu and-

“Hey, Rey!”

She cursed his distracting décor and turned on her heel to grin as cheerfully and as disarmingly as she could. “Hi Finn!”

He looked so happy to see her – _damn, really leaning into that uber-friendly and sweet vibe, huh?_ – that she panicked and thrust the box towards him as he came around the counter. He was wearing a hip black-and-white half apron, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up about halfway on his arms, hands covered in flour.

_Damn._

Finn cracked the box opened and grinned as he glanced over the contents, “Whoa – hey, nice! Raspberry and chocolate!”

“Dad and I really liked what you brought over, so we had to repay the favor,” Rey said, all competition weirdly fleeing from her nerves. There was chill music playing, and the kitchens smelled _amazing_, and he looked _amazing-_ “I… I didn’t want you to think we were rude, or anything.”

“Not at all. I’m really happy you didn’t think that _I_ was overbearing. I didn’t want to come off as pretentious.”

“Oh, no worries! Not at all.”

“Cool, cool…”

And then there were a few seconds of silence, which was decidedly _not_ cool. Rey prayed for something to talk about, but her mind was blank as she watched Finn admire the pipework on the pastries she’d brought over. She prayed for a distraction.

And then the door opened, and she sighed in relief and thanked whoever had decided to heed her ask, but when she turned to look at the newcomers-

“Hey, Rey!” Rose Tico called out, cheerful and friendly as ever, her older sister Paige trailing behind. “What’re you doing here?”

Her stomach sank. _Have they already chosen him?_ She put on her best cheerful retail smile, and said, “I was just bringing Finn some ‘welcome to the town’ gifts.”

“Aw, that’s sweet! Welcome to town, indeed! Skybakers has been here for a while,” Rose said, laughing, and Rey’s stomach sank a little bit further down towards her knees. “They’re like a local tradition!”

“We were actually going to head over to your place next, Rey,” Paige said. “Since our party is coming up, we need to find a good caterer by the end of the week.”

“Lots of treats for us in the meantime!” Rose cheered, clapping.

Judging by the look on Finn’s face, he had _not_ known that the Tico sisters were planning the biggest party of the century. But now he did. “Birthday party?”

“Graduation,” Rey said before she could catch herself. “They both graduated recently. Astrophysics and engineering,” gesturing to the relevant sister.

The corner of Paige’s lips twitched up, not unkindly. “Someone’s been doing their homework.”

Rose grinned. “Points for Rey!”

“Well – I have a catalogue here, with all of the pastries and cakes we can do,” Finn began, and Rey knew a sales pitch when she heard one, “and I’ve actually just iced a batch of cupcakes – we can do any flavor combination you want, I’ve been working on-”

“And Skybakers is _nationally_ known for our galettes, of course – we have the classic flavors and-” Inwardly, Rey grimaced, because this was sloppy and rude and she knew she was interrupting but she couldn’t just stand here and let him win them over, not right in front of her.

“I do love a good cupcake from Skybakers,” Rose said dreamily, but she eagerly flipped through Finn’s catalogue, _ooh_-ing and _ahh_-ing over his ridiculously experimental but damned delicious flavor related creativity. “Oh, but _cool_ – sage and chocolate, hot pepper and orange??”

“But do you _really_ want to take that big of a risk for your party?” Rey asked, and Finn laughed.

“Why not? Sometimes you gotta take some risks, right?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Actually, this is perfect.”

Rey and Finn and Rose all stopped talking and turned to look at Paige, who was standing with her hands on her hips, a thoughtful look on her face. She tapped her chin, drawing out the moment, before her sharp eyes flashed to Rey, and then to Finn, and then to Rose, who immediately understood what the two bakers were failing to catch on to.

“O_h!_ Oh, I _like_ that plan,” Rose agreed, grinning. She nodded at her sister. “I _really_ like that plan.”

“What plan?” Finn asked, looking about as nervous as Rey felt. “We _both_ cater, or something-”

“No way, that’s boring.”

Finn made a face.

“No, no I was thinking something more along the lines of… well, a contest.” Paige explained coolly, examining her fingernails as those that were the most interesting thing in the room right now. “Finn, you’re new in town-”

“-and he’d like a few dollars-”

“-you’re a menace, and Rey-”

“We’ve stagnated as a bakery?”

Paige blinked. “I was going to say ‘enjoys healthy competition’.”

“…Ah.” She cleared her throat, and when she glanced over at Finn, he gave her a cutely-crooked grin, and she very quickly looked away and pretended she hadn’t seen it. “Yeah, yeah. That too.”

Rose giggled, Paige smiled, and gave a sharp nod. “Excellent. Let’s see… how does one week sound? One week, to come up with your best stuff?”

Rey nodded, intent, as Finn rubbed the back of his head but shrugged and nodded, too. “Fine. Nothing says ‘welcome to town’ like a friendly baking competition, right?”

“Hell yeah,” Rey answered, and when they shook hands, the Tico sisters grinning and excitedly making plans behind them (“Whoever gets more likes on Insta should count for something!”), she tried to ignore just how soft his hand was. As gentle as his smile- _nope! No time for THAT._

She had work to do.

**Author's Note:**

> *(I lied, I have one plan, and that's late night kitchen bakery makeouts but WE'RE NOT THERE YET)
> 
> [tumblr](https://naberiie.tumblr.com/), [twitter](https://twitter.com/naberiie)


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